


Day 13-Tail

by Capsaicin



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Injury, Fluff (Literal), Gun Violence, Kaiba Turns into a Cat, M/M, No Porn Nor Plot, Pridecember, Prideshipping, Temporary Character Death, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 01:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16985466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capsaicin/pseuds/Capsaicin
Summary: “You already have five white chickens. Aren’t they a more than sufficient source of animal exfecation in your household?”Kaiba folded his arms and sat back in Atem’s couch, peering imperatively at the white feline nestled on Atem’s lap.“Cats and vultures are spiritual animals, Kaiba. They are not pets, but my friends and companions… and the more friends the merrier, isn’t it, Seto?” Atem smiled affectionately at the cat, scratching him gently between his ears. The white ragdoll gave him a lazy glance, as if acknowledging his question.Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “You named the cat Seto.”Atem is a gang boss. Seto is CEO of an influential company dabbing in rather shady business. Enemies turned lovers. This happens when their turbulent relationship finally settles into something more meaningful.





	Day 13-Tail

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning, read the tags. Part of an AU for which I wrote some 20k words im probably never going to post because of Reasons... but figured this relatively mild insert could stand on its own :P (shot  
> Atem is a gang boss. Seto is CEO of an influential company dabbing in rather shady business. Enemies turned lovers. This happens when their turbulent relationship finally settles into something more meaningful.  
> Atem decided to get a new cat.

“You already have five white chickens. Aren’t they a more than sufficient source of animal exfecation in your household?”

Kaiba folded his arms and sat back in Atem’s couch, peering imperatively at the white feline nestled on Atem’s lap.

“Cats and vultures are spiritual animals, Kaiba. They are not pets, but my friends and companions… and the more friends the merrier, isn’t it, Seto?” Atem smiled affectionately at the cat, scratching him gently between his ears. The white ragdoll gave him a lazy glance, as if acknowledging his question.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “You named the cat Seto.”

“Because he’s almost identical to a certain asshole who’s always too busy to entertain me. I have to get someone to love me in his place, you know?”

“I never knew you were the sticky type of girlfriend, Atem.” Kaiba glowered at the cat with renewed animosity. Brown-tipped ears, dispassionate face, forget-me-not blue eyes imposing an air of superiority upon whomsoever dares meet their gaze… How on Earth did Atem associate them with each other?

“There’s a lot more you don’t know about me… like how I like to cuddle my lover on a warm afternoon like this, tease him with tummy rubs and call him cheesy nicknames. You won’t really appreciate it if I did these with you, would you?”

Kaiba blinked, mildly confused. “I just don’t see the necessity in doing such things.”

“Much of love is superfluous, Kaiba,” Atem sighed, “A relationship is paltry if it only revolves around necessity.”

“But necessities must always be prioritised,” Kaiba huffed. “Now drop the cat and get over here so I can tend to both our necessities. I have a video conference with our European branch in an hour.”

“You hopeless sociopath…” Atem shook his head in exasperation, but released the cat and got up from his seat, stripping out of his loose T-shirt and sweatpants as he went. He greeted Kaiba with a knee pressed unceremoniously on his tented erection, grabbing the hair on the back of Kaiba’s head and pulling him in for a rough kiss.

“Fine… show me how you deem it necessary to fuck me today, you artless pervert.”

 

Kaiba surveyed his surroundings with cautious surprise, trying to process the situation in his suddenly sluggish brain.

A moment ago he was in his office, having just finished the tediously long strategic meeting with his overseas execs. But now he’s back at Atem’s apartment, afternoon sunlight flowing in from the glass panes on the roof and caressing him gently on the back.

He must have fallen asleep on his desk and started dreaming, he decided.

But what kind of dream – and what kind of viewpoint was this? The room he had just been in a few hours ago looked strangely unfamiliar, for his eyes were level with the rims of the flowerpots and seats of the chairs.

He was… a cat?

And there was also only one cat he could be, Kaiba observed as he inspected his smooth white coat and brown tinted tail.

Just how jealous was he of that blasted creature to dream of becoming him?

But the situation wasn’t unpleasant, and for once Kaiba was in no hurry to wake himself up and get back to work.

He navigated around the couch and found Atem in the kitchen. Atem had donned an apron, chopping away on a bundle of parsley. A pleasant smell of garlic and spices wafted out from the large bowl on the counter.

 _Atem doesn’t look half bad in an apron,_ Kaiba thought absently. _If only the apron didn’t have that hideous brown thing printed all over it… Speaking of which, he’s making falafels again._ Kaiba snorted in his head. _Not that I care… as long as he’s preparing something decent for me tonight. Maybe a nice juicy piece of salmon… wait, salmon?_ Kaiba blinked. It must be the cat’s preferences getting onto him. _Whatever… there’s something else I’d like to have right now._

He strolled over to Atem’s side, deliberately brushing his tail over Atem’s calves as he passed, then sat down two paces away from the counter, looking up with polite expectancy.

_Pet me._

Atem took a quick glance at him and said something as he set down his knife and shovelled the herbs into the food bowl. Kaiba realised he couldn’t understand Atem’s speech, as if he was speaking in a foreign language. But curiously enough, the gist of his message still came through.

“Give me a second, Seto, let me dry my hands.”

Atem wiped his hands off on a towel, then walked over to bend down in front of him. Kaiba instinctively jumped back.

Kaiba was very particular about his personal space. Even Atem would make him uneasy if he suddenly got too close, despite the countless times they had held each other’s naked bodies.

“What’s wrong, Seto?” Atem frowned, his extended hand stopping in midair. “Don’t you want your tummy rub?”

 _Kaiba_ didn’t want it, but every fibre of his cat being cried otherwise. He shivered as corporeal memory washed through his limbs, reminding him just how satisfying it would be to have Atem’s deft fingers card through his fur and gently stroke down his spine.

 _You can trust him,_ A voice crooned to him at the back of his head. _Let him pamper you._

Kaiba took a cautious step forward, touching Atem’s fingertips experimentally with his nose. He stepped in more boldly to nuzzle his forehead against Atem’s knuckles, then turned to lay down at his feet. He immediately felt the promised caresses fall blissfully on his back.

He was practically bashing in ecstasy, the gentle strokes easing away every strain and insecurity knotted into his muscles. He knew that this man would love him and protect him, would never leave his side. He never felt so contented in his life.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally flipped over to expose his tender stomach.

“Mmh… good boy, Seto,” Atem murmured. “We have steak tonight, by the way.”

Steak? Kaiba’s ears perked up at the word.

“Yep, your favorite,” Atem chuckled, scratching Kaiba under the chin and drawing out a pleased purr.

 _Maybe it won’t be bad at all to stay as Atem’s pet…_ Kaiba thought dreamily as he slipped into a relaxed trance.

 

“Have you had dinner yet?”

Kaiba had to pause for a moment, because Atem’s question drew a disgruntled lurch from his stomach. It was 9PM, and he still had some work to finish off.

“Just ate.”

“You’re lying.”

Kaiba let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll get something to eat when I head out in a bit.”

“Seto. … Please, you need to take better care of yourself. Mokuba’s worried about you.”

Kaiba frowned. The way Atem called his first name, the sincere concern seeping from his voice… He found himself so unprepared to hear it he almost went into panic.

“You’re not my little brother. Why are you concerned?”

“I’m your lover.” Righteous and reprimanding, as if he was surprised why Kaiba even asked the question.

Kaiba grimaced. It was all too easy to go with the flow, but it would be a mistake.

“We’re not typical lovers, Atem. I don’t think it’s wise for you to grow attached.”

“ _You don’t think it’s wise?_ ” Atem asked incredulously.

 _Shit._ Kaiba rubbed his temple. Why didn’t he just tell Atem they should break up? It would be a step faster.

“Listen, Kaiba –” It’s “Kaiba” again. That did the job, didn’t it? “– We’ re both adults, and we’re both perfectly capable of caring for another human being. We’re past the time when we only wanted to tear each other apart, so what else is bothering you about sharing a normal relationship?”

Kaiba leaned back in his chair with a small huff of laughter. He wondered which part of their relationship could be considered “normal” up to this point.

“You’re so naïve sometimes, Atem.”

“I trust and respect you wholeheartedly, and I think you feel the same way. We’re in love, by all conventional and nonconventional definitions. There’s nothing naïve about this.”

 _You should listen to yourself and hear how utterly ridiculous that sounded._ Nevertheless, Kaiba felt a smile creeping up to his lips. All the apprehension he held just a moment ago had miraculously melted away, as if they didn’t have a reason to exist in the first place.

“Fine, Atem. Let me wrap up so I could grab dinner.”

“Glad to hear that. Goodnight, Seto.”

“…Goodnight.”

Kaiba set down his phone, staring blankly at his lock screen. There was something extremely comforting about hearing Atem’s voice – like how it felt in his dream when he was the cat, and Atem was rubbing him gently on his back.

It was such a bad idea to name the cat after him, he thought gruffly. Now he might get the impulse to meow whenever Atem called his name.

 

It was past midnight when Kaiba got home. He ended up going out to fix dinner right after Atem’s call, which proved to be a wise choice, for the remainder of his work dragged out much longer than he expected.

He gave his maid brief instructions for breakfast, then sent her off to rest. Normally if he ended work late he would sleep in his office – which was what he had been doing the past few days, so his household staff would not have to stay up for him – but today he suddenly wanted to come home to see his brother. Kaiba hadn’t had a chance to talk to him in person for almost a week. It would be nice for them to have breakfast together the next morning.

Mokuba was already asleep, but his room door was left open – as he had done since they were kids, although Kaiba obviously didn’t come in every evening to give him good-night kisses anymore. Kaiba stood at the doorway for a moment, then slipped in through the door and shuffled as quietly as he could to the bedside. He dropped a quick peck on Mokuba’s puffy cheek, pausing for another moment to study the younger Kaiba’s peacefully slumbering face, before slipping out the way he came.

 _We’re both perfectly capable of caring for another human being_.

Kaiba had been so used to being considered a cold-hearted person that it was news to be told otherwise – especially by a former archnemesis.

Kaiba hadn’t thought about whether – or why – he should take a next step in their relationship. Considering their past, it was only natural for them to hold their guard against each other and only take what they needed. But Atem was always one to break the rules between them.

If Atem was willing to give him more, it was only fair for him to reciprocate, Kaiba decided.

_He deserved it, after all._

 

Kaiba opened his eyes, this time a little less surprised to see the world from a cat’s eye view.

The lights were out in Atem’s apartment, but Kaiba had no problems getting up and around thanks to his enhanced night vision. He deftly scaled the stairs up to the second floor, scooting over to the second door on the landing. It was open, as he expected.

He found Atem sprawled all over the bed at the centre of the room. It can’t have been that far into the night, but half of his sheets were already on the floor. Kaiba sorely wished he had human arms to tuck him back in, but life never proceeds to one’s wishes. So instead he hopped nimbly onto the bed, picking around the messy sheets to nestle himself by Atem’s side.

“Mmh… Seto.” Atem turned over, murmuring a few more incoherent phrases, then an arm draped heavily over Kaiba’s body. He mewled in mild protest, but Atem showed no signs of yielding, so he shifted around to make himself as comfortable as possible, resting his head against Atem’s chest.

He had a feeling he would finally get a good night’s sleep.

 

A third time was all it took for him to get all used to assuming cat form. Kaiba flexed out his spine as he got up, yawning pleasantly as he eased the stiffness out of his limbs. He wondered if it was because he was always completely worn out before having these dreams – he felt better in cat skin than in his own.

Atem seemed to be alone in the house. He was sitting in an armchair with a book, his white vultures strutting around his feet. Kaiba took one disdainful look at the obnoxious white birds, and decided to take a post on the stairs to keep his distance.

He was about to doze off again when he heard knocks at the door. He assumed it was Yugi coming home, but his skin prickled when he remembered that they had a doorbell. Yugi wouldn’t knock the front door unless the doorbell wasn’t functioning.

Atem obviously came to the same conclusion, his tension visible as he approached the door. He looked through the peephole, and for a moment Kaiba was almost sure he was going to get his gun, but he paused for a moment, then unlocked and opened the door, letting in three men.

Kaiba didn’t recognise any of them – their appearances were less remarkable than the bright red car he caught a glimpse of in the driveway outside. One of the men exchanged a few words with Atem as he followed him in, while his two companions stayed behind to lounge by the door. Kaiba could hear but could not understand what they were saying. Atem was still tense, but he did not seem to consider the man an immediate threat, turning his back on him briefly as he led him into the living room.

It was a mistake. Alarms blared in Kaiba’s head when he saw the man pull out a silenced gun and press the barrel into Atem’s back.

He jumped out from the side of the stairs, using the vantage to launch himself right into the man’s face. The man yelped in surprise, dropping the gun with a clatter, but it was too late – Atem had already collapsed onto the floor, blood streaming out of his stomach.

“Why you bloody pest –” The man picked up his gun, aiming at Kaiba but obviously hesitant to shoot for fear it would make a loud sound. Kaiba weaved past him, dodging his line of fire, and rushed up to Atem’s side.

Atem was breathing laboriously, his blood forming a small puddle on the clean white tiles leading into the kitchen. He looked up at the frantic patter of Kaiba’s feet.

“ _Run, Seto_ …” He hissed.

 _Not a chance in Hell!_ Kaiba jumped onto Atem’s shoulder, spreading himself to cover as much of his body as possible. He immediately felt Atem’s blood soaking through his coat, weighing him down like a curse. He hissed menacingly at the man as he came closer, ready to lash out when he hits the trigger, but a wave of dread washed through him when he saw one of his companions emerge from behind him. He clawed and bit at the second man as he attempted to remove him from Atem, but he was still dragged off far enough to let the first man approach with his gun and press it to the back of Atem’s neck.

 _Atem!!_ His momentary shock allowed the second man to pick him up and throw him against the kitchen counter. The world became a feverish mess as the men gathered their belongings, briefly inspecting the scene to clear off any evidence before piling out the door.

 _Atem… Atem_ … Kaiba felt his bloodied fur falling out in chunks, his body becoming impossibly heavy as he scrambled across the few tiles that separated him from his lover. His outstretched paws turned into human hands, allowing him to pull Atem into his arms. Atem gazed up at him, pupils dilated, and for a moment Kaiba almost thought he would hear a cocky remark fall out of his parted lips. But the crimson eyes did not see him as the lustre faded from their irises, and Kaiba could do nothing but let out a wretched scream as Atem’s head fell limply to the side.

 

Kaiba cursed as the morning chill sent a shiver down his spine, paying no heed to the angry horns as he sped right past a red light. He had changed out of his sweat-drenched pyjamas, but the fresh shirt on his back was already soaking through underneath his jacket.

His blood ran frigid when he saw a bright red car sweep past him as he entered the driveway. He parked his car in front of Atem’s apartment, not even bothering to cut the engine as he hurried out, scrambling up the front steps two at a time.

He didn’t think twice as he pulled out his spare key, bursting through the doorway yelling Atem’s name. Relief tided over him when he didn’t see a bloody mess at the entrance to the kitchen, but it quickly dissipated as eerie silence settled in around him.

Atem’s apartment was unnaturally still. Even the animals were nowhere to be seen.

“Atem… _Atem_! Are you here? Answer me!!”

In his distress Kaiba didn’t even notice the lock turning behind him. He heard the front door open, and swerved around just in time to see the dark barrel of a gun pointed at his face.

“Kaiba! … Thank God!”

He barely had a second to process the identity of the intruder before he was shoved roughly against the wall. Atem’s lips crashed into him like a crazed wild animal, his teeth snagging and bruising Kaiba’s lower lip.

Kaiba’s head spun from the sheer force of the kiss, but his hands caught the back of Atem’s head and fumbled to pull him closer. He was close to fainting when Atem finally broke off, leaving them both gasping for breath.

“Ra be praised… you’re safe,” Atem whispered hoarsely.

He slammed the front door with a backward kick, then pressed Kaiba up the wall to claim his lips once more.

“What the hell is going on…” Kaiba muttered when they parted again, Atem clinging to his collar with his unarmed hand and panting heavily. He blinked when Atem abruptly pushed off him, drawing a haphazard five inches between them.

“They’re from the Kuribayashi Family… a small branch off the Kusanagi Clan.”

“Who? Those men in the red car? You know them?”

“ _Of course I do_ …” Atem hissed as he stowed his gun. “Did they see you coming into my house?”

“I don’t think so…” Kaiba hesitated, his confusion growing as Atem sighed in relief.

“That would make things a little easier… Listen, Kaiba. The Kuribayashis are known as the ‘executors’... their chief reports directly to the head of the Kusanagi Clan, and they regularly take on tasks to clean off enemies to the syndicate. They’ve probably got their noses on me because we drove the Hanamuras out of Domino City…”

“The Hanamuras?” Kaiba fumbled through the pieces of information in his head, remembering Atem telling him the Hanamuras were associate to a large yakuza syndicate that Atem had been affiliate to before he broke off to form Nekhbet’s Order.

“I didn’t think the incident would have gone to the old man, but now it seems he has other plans… if he really comes after me, I don’t think we’ll be able to hold... We need to stop seeing each other, Kaiba.”

“ _What_? …You’re not making any sense.”

“ _Don’t give me that now, Kaiba!_ ” Atem cursed in frustration. He paced back and forth, sucking in a few long breaths, looking up again when he seemed to have regained some composure.

“The Kusanagis are planning to expand their forces into Domino City. I would probably be the first on their hit list – I’ve betrayed them before and have no intentions of reconciling with them. You may also be on their radar from the affair with the Hanamuras… but you aren’t a trivial target to deal with, so they would most likely leave you alone, as long as you don’t establish yourself as an open threat…”

“You’re telling me I should cut ties with you to save my ass?”

“To put it plainly, yes.”

“And what are you planning to do?”

“It’s none of your concern…”

“Look at me, Atem.” Kaiba grabbed Atem by the shoulder, pinning him onto the opposite wall. “You’re not my fucking fling. I don’t come in to shag you over the weekends and desert you at the first sign of trouble.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a better squeeze than me, sexy,” Atem laughed weakly, “You just have to move on.”

“Fuck you, Atem!” It was Kaiba’s turn to pull his hair out at the lack of an appropriate curse. “Be it Kusanagi or the Devil, I’m not about to let someone waltz into my city and take someone I love from under my very eyes!”

“Don’t be a child, Kaiba, it’s yakuza we’re talking about. You’re making it sound like –”

“I know what yakuza is, and you’re not the only one I’ve dealt with in my life! We’re in the same fucking boat. Sitting on my hands and watching you die would certainly not save my own hide.”

“… You’re right, Kaiba. I was being an idiot.” Atem heaved a long sigh, throwing back his head to rest against the wall. “I’m sorry we’re screwed together.”

“Don’t be. I’m pleased to be screwed with you.” Kaiba made sure that Atem wasn’t going to slip away before he released his grip on Atem’s shoulders. “Speaking of which… where are your cat and chickens? I haven’t seen them.”

“I shipped the vultures off to a friend at Domino Zoo as soon as I caught wind of the Kuribayashis showing up in town… I didn’t want them to get caught in case things go off in here.”

“You’re such a fucking saint,” Kaiba huffed.

“But Seto refused to leave the house… so he should be around somewhere.” Atem frowned. “Don’t tell me – Seto!”

A soft thud and a patter of paws sounded down the hall as soon as the name was uttered, and Atem looked like he was ready to melt in relief. The white cat scooted past Kaiba like a furry projectile, weaving in between Atem’s legs and mewling until Atem bent down to pick him up. He threw Kaiba a pointed glance once safely perched in Atem’s arms.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “You shooed me away, but let the cat stay with you.”

“What? Are you going to get jealous?” Atem’s voice was muffled as he smothered his face into the cat’s furry head.

“Of course not.” Why would he be jealous over a cat who just made out with his lover? Kaiba just needed a fine day to kill the little adulterer and toss his body into a ravine.

“We have steak today, Seto,” Atem purred, still buried nose deep in white fur.

“Seto is _my_ name,” Kaiba snapped irritably, hearing one of his veins pop as the cat dismissed his animosity altogether with a lazy yawn.

“I was talking to you, big cat.” Atem hoisted the cat into one arm to free a hand to fish in his pocket, producing a set of car keys and tossing them over to Kaiba. “They’re in the back of my car – get them for me, will you?”

And leave you alone with the cat so he could have his way? “You’re coming with me. Both our cars need to get into the garage.”

“All right…” Atem sniffed, taking a last snog before reluctantly letting the cat onto the floor. Kaiba paused, a mad impulse rushing into his head like water out of a burst pipe. He grabbed Atem’s arm and yanked him in, sealing their lips together for the third time that morning.

“Mpph – what – Seto calm downnn –” Atem struggled as Kaiba’s mouth moved off his lips to roam over his eyes, nose and cheek, licking sloppy traces wherever he went. Once satisfied that he covered every inch of skin that had come in contact with the cat, Kaiba shoved Atem back and turned to spit the cat hair out of his mouth.

“Good gracious, what was that for?” Atem sneezed.

“Claiming territory,” Kaiba said, wiping his mouth and sneering triumphantly at the cat. The cat gave him a bored look and got to his feet, tail swaying leisurely as he sauntered off.

**Author's Note:**

> [Some more art I drew for this AU](https://kuriiiiiiiiiii.tumblr.com/tagged/gang-AU)


End file.
